Too Late
by PrehistoricCat
Summary: Abby has a feeling that something bad is about to happen
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Primeval and the characters belong to Impossible Pictures, I'm just borrowing them**

**A/N: Not sure whether to leave this as a stand-alone or whether to explore it further ....**

* * *

Abby had a strange feeling that something bad was about to happen, if it hadn't already. She'd hardly slept, something was telling her not to sleep, but she didn't know what or why. She eventually drifted off to sleep in the early hours, convincing herself that if something was going to happen, there was little she could do about it. She kept her mobile switched on though, just in case.

When she eventually crawled out of bed, sometime after 9am, she still felt uneasy. She checked her phone to make sure she hadn't missed any calls, and even checked the ordinary phone for answer phone messages. Nothing. Maybe it was all just her imagination, a combination of working long hours, not eating properly and not sleeping well.

She made her way into the kitchen, expecting to be greeted by three hungry dinosaurs, but Sid and Nancy were curled up asleep in the corner, and Rex was perched up in his favourite spot in the rafters by Connor's room. She noticed the food dishes were out, and a quick check of the bin to find fresh peelings told her Connor must have fed them already. "Connor?" She called. No reply, and no sign of life from his room. He must have gone out early, which was unusual for him on a weekend. She didn't remember him mentioning going out today, but then again, he had been acting weird for a few weeks now. They'd barely spoken to each other in recent days, she'd been busy studying a small lizard type dinosaur that had been left behind after the last anomaly had closed. It had died shortly after bringing it back to the ARC, so Abby had been tasked with cataloguing everything she could find out about it. Connor kept disappearing into Lester's office, sometimes for hours at a time. Then he'd come back, busy himself with the computer, and head for home.

Abby showered, still trying to shake off the feeling of unease. She decided to make an effort to go out somewhere, there was a new CD she thought she might get, and a trip into town might just make her feel a bit better. She dressed, and headed out into the London shopping crowds.

She returned mid afternoon. Her mood still hadn't shaken off. "Connor, you home? I'm going to make chilli for dinner, do you want some?" she waited. No reply, and there was no sign he'd been back and gone out again. Most unusual. She busied herself, putting away the shopping and making herself a drink. Sid and Nancy were rolling around on the floor with each other, tugging at the blanket that usually lined the box they slept in.

"Bad Diictodons!" Abby said, trying to pull the blanket from them. She noticed their box was a mess, full of chewed up paper, what looked like the remains of one of Connor's socks, and one of her gloves. She began to tidy it, picking up the bits of rubbish, and that's when she found it – an envelope, with "Abby" written on it. It was Connor's handwriting.

She opened it, her hands shaking. It had been chewed somewhat, but the note inside was readable. As she began to read, she immediately knew this was the reason for her unease.

_"Dearest Abby. I've been trying to find the words to tell you this, but you know me. It seems easier this way, even though you'll probably think I'm a coward"_

Her heart began pounding hard and she felt a sense of panic. What had Connor done?

_"Lester's asked me to work on a special assignment with an old friend of his. A team of archeologists in Tanzania have found some unusual fossils and bones, stuff that seems mis-placed for the time period. Sounds like anomaly activity right? I'm going out there to work with a team, set up some technology and see if they've got anomalies going on there too"_

Tanzania? Abby stared in disbelief. Connor had gone out to Tanzania without so much of a goodbye?

_"I almost turned it down, but things haven't exactly been good between us for a while, and being around you is killing me. You'll never return the feelings I have for you,and its time I moved on. We both need some space and time apart. All my love, always, Connor x"_

Abby was fighting back tears, what did he mean by never returning the feelings? She had kissed him hadn't she? Didn't that tell him how she felt about him? Admittedly, since then, she hadn't made any other move. She'd been waiting for him to make the next one, thinking maybe he didn't want anything other than friendship now.

There was something else on the note. He had taken great care to give full details of his flight, but not where he was going to be staying. It was a test! He was giving her the chance to go after him and stop him leaving. There was still a chance, surely … Then she remembered that he had already left when she had woken. He must have left the note out on the kitchen work top, intending for her to find it. That was hours ago. Perhaps Rex had knocked the envelope off the side, and then Sid and Nancy found it, whatever had happened, she hadn't found it when she should have.

She raced up the stairs to Connor's room, she opened his wardrobe door, half expecting to find him hiding there. But it was empty. All of Connor's possessions cleared out, like he'd never been there. She made her way back downstairs, slowly.

Checking her watch, she realized the flight had left two hours ago. Maybe there was a chance the flight had been delayed? She picked up the phone and dialled directory enquiries, who then put her through to an enquiries desk at Heathrow. "Did flight BA145 leave on time?" she asked. She closed her eyes, it was her final hope. She could hear the assistant typing away on the computer

"Yes Ma'am, it took off about 5 minutes late. Is there anything else I can help with?"

Fighting tears she said "No thank you" and put the phone down. Then, she collapsed in a heap on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. She was too late. Connor had gone, thinking she didn't care about him. She felt like her heart was shattering into a hundred pieces, and the one person who was usually there to make things better was gone. Things were never going to be same again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: They're not mine, just borrowing them for a while ;)**

**A/N: Ok, you talked me into continuing! Thanks to those who added this to their alerts, and especially to autumnfall3 and Wilemina…**

**The same day… Connor's version**

* * *

Connor was sat drinking coffee, somewhere in Heathrow's terminal 5. He looked at his watch for what felt like the hundredth time. He still had almost an hour to go before he had to be checked in. 9:30 was the limit. He intended to leave it as late as possible. _Abby should be awake by now_, he thought._ She should have found the note_. He had his mobile on the table in front of him, hoping for a call.

He thought back to the day when Lester had called him to his office "for a chat". Connor had been worried, he thought he was going to be sacked. Instead, he was being handed a pile of documents.

"There's a team of scientists and archaeologists working on a site in Tendaguru, Tanzania, I'm sure you're familiar with the place from your studies" Lester said. Connor nodded. Some of the most important finds from the late Jurassic period were made there. "Jenny's team began intercepting emails about two months ago, they monitor for certain key words on the internet, and there was something that rang alarm bells" He handed Connor a photograph of what looked liked the remains of two lions. "An eye witness claimed the lions were attacked by a velociraptor" Connor's eyes grew to the size of saucers. "We have one of our men out there now, trying to keep it under wraps"

"What's all this got to do with me?" Connor had asked

"We need the reports looking at in detail. There's too much scientific jargon in them for our usual men. Given your background, and your knowledge of the anomalies … I'd like you to piece together what's going on there."

Connor nodded. He got up to leave. "Oh, and Temple" Lester said. "That information in your hands is classified. You do not discuss this with anyone, not even Abby. Do you understand?" Connor nodded again, and left, holding the documents in his shaking hands.

He'd taken them to his desk and spent the rest of the afternoon going through them. It was fascinating! The reports initially indicated that they had found some unusual fossils and bones, creatures that didn't fit into the usual time period for discoveries in that area. Connor was immediately thinking about something Cutter had said at their very first meeting – _it's the things that don't fit that interest me_. The more he read, the more it began to feel like the early days of the ARC. Creature sightings that couldn't be explained, bright lights … it was all so familiar.

In the days and weeks that followed, Lester kept calling Connor into his office to go through emails and files from the team at Tendaguru. Connor hated keeping things from his friends, but Lester kept reminding him of the classified status of their findings. They had been communicating with an old University friend of Lester's, Sir David Mills, the British agent who had been sent in to keep everything out of the public domain. With more and more sightings in the area, it was becoming clearer that they couldn't just ignore the problem. A couple of the park rangers who had been called in to the first lion attack were trusted with information and asked to set up a team to investigate. In short, an African version of the ARC was being created. They were keen to learn from the research that the UK team had already done, and Connor had been emailing them information as much as he could. The main problem for the African team was that they didn't have someone with enough computer or technology know-how to set up an anomaly detector. That was when Lester made his suggestion – Connor could go out there and help them.

Connor went away and thought long and hard about the plan. It would mean being away for several months, far from home, far from his friends … but after a particularly awkward evening at home with Abby, his mind was made up. His heart ached every time he thought about Abby, she blew hot and cold with him, he never really knew where he stood with her. They had been getting close for a while, and when she had kissed him, he thought that things were finally looking up. But there had been nothing since, in fact, she seemed to be more distant, and she'd said she didn't want any weirdness between them. He couldn't live like this any longer. He needed to move on, get on with his life, without Abby. Putting some distance between them, so he wouldn't even have to see her at work, was probably the best, and only, solution.

So, that was why he was here now, his life packed into two large suitcases. Once he'd made the decision, things seemed to move very quickly. There was so much to arrange, visas, work permits, vaccinations, malaria drugs …. Luckily, Lester had many contacts, and all his paperwork was dealt with and approved swiftly. He hadn't told anyone he was leaving, he couldn't cope with goodbyes. Lester had agreed not to say anything to the rest of the team until after he'd gone, but Connor felt he at least owed Abby something. He'd tried to tell her, he really had, but as usual she made him tongue-tied. So he wrote her a letter. She would be the only reason he'd stay, if she wanted him in the same way he wanted her. All it would take was three little words. He'd left one last lifeline open, if she knew when his flight was, she could still try and stop him from leaving. He sighed, looking at his watch again. Time was passing very quickly, and with each minute, his heart broke a little bit more. She wasn't coming. She hadn't even sent him a text to say good luck and goodbye. That was how much she cared.

Reluctantly, he went over to the check in desks. He had to face facts, Abby didn't love him, and him leaving was the best thing for the both of them. As he made his way to the departures lounge, he kept looking behind, hoping to see that familiar crop of blonde hair rushing through the doors. He clung on to one last thread of hope, the flight didn't actually depart for another three hours. There was still a chance she'd call.

He tried to relax, three hours was a long time to kill. He knew he should eat something, but his stomach was churning too much. He'd read several newspapers and had even spent time browsing through duty free, he hated shopping! All the time, he kept checking his mobile, not wanting to miss a call or text. Then came the announcement he had been dreading – they were calling his flight to begin boarding. He stood in the queue, lingering back as long as possible. He handed over his boarding card and passport to the security guy, who checked it and handed it back and directed Connor through the doors.

Fighting back tears, he made his way slowly over the tarmac towards the 747. He climbed the steps, glancing over to the terminal building one last time. This was it, Abby was too late. "Goodbye Abby" he whispered to himself, before handing his boarding pass to the Stewardess

"Welcome aboard Mr Temple, enjoy your flight" she said.

As the realisation hit him, he felt like his entire world was shattering. He usually turned to Abby for comfort when he was hurting, but she wasn't there. Things were never going to be the same again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Despite having a soft spot for Connor, I don't own Primeval or the characters, no copyright intended**

**A/N : Here we go .... Abby and Connor begin their separate lives**

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Connor was grateful that Lester was a perfectionist. The papers he had had prepared for Connor were excellent. It seems he had been given government level clearance, which got him through immigration in double quick time. His work visa and passport had been validated for six months, and now he was being directed towards a tall African gentleman in a shirt and beige trousers. "Mr Temple?" he said, holding out his hand to shake "I'm your driver, Enzi. Sir Mills sent me to take you to your hotel, and then I'll take you on to the site at Tendaguru tomorrow" he took Connor's cases and started to head towards the exit "Follow me Mr Temple, wouldn't want you to get lost"

"Thanks" Connor mumbled. This was all a bit overwhelming. He was tired, lonely and afraid. He followed Enzi, who was moving quickly through the crowded arrivals area. The heat hit him as soon as he stepped outside, and despite the fact it was the early hours of the morning, there were cars everywhere. He had to practically run to keep up with the driver as he wove his way through row after row of parked cars. Eventually, they were at Enzi's car and he was loading Connor's cases into the boot. The car looked older than Connor, and he dreaded the journey, but it had very efficient air conditioning and a radio that was tuned to some American rock channel. About half an hour later, they pulled up at a hotel, Connor didn't even bother finding out what it was called. Enzi helped him to check in and a porter took his cases up to his room.

"Try to get some sleep Mr Temple" Enzi said "and a good breakfast. We have a long drive ahead of us tomorrow. I will pick you up at 9am"

Connor collapsed on top of the large bed, exhausted. He fell asleep almost immediately.

--

Abby had cried solidly for over an hour, and it was only Rex's hungry chirping that shook her out of her misery. After downing two bottles of beer, she still didn't feel any better and went to bed. Sleep would not come. She was going through everything that had happened between her and Connor recently. She'd kept her distance after the kiss, thinking he needed the space. Now he was gone, she'd been wrong, he didn't want space, he wanted to be with her. She wanted to be with him. Why hadn't she ever told him that? She had to tell him. Even if it didn't bring him back, she needed him to know why she hadn't gone after him. She needed him to know how she really felt.

The morning sun seemed cruel, poking through the crack in her curtains far too early. She rubbed her eyes and glanced over at her clock, it was just before 6am. Staring at her mobile phone, she knew what she had to do. With three hours time difference, Connor would probably be on the move already.

She tried calling him four times, but before the call could connect, she hung up, changing her mind, needing to think more about what she was going to say. Eventually, on the fifth try, she decided this was it. The call connected, but went straight to his voicemail. Hearing his cheery voice made tears well in her eyes. She blinked them back. Then the beep …. Deep breath …

"Connor, it's me, Abby" She paused, swallowing hard, preparing herself. "So, you're Lester's new blue-eyed boy eh?" She stopped again, wiping the tear that was trickling down her cheek. "That's pretty cool, I hope it all goes well for you. You deserve some happiness after …. after the way I've treated you. I don't blame you for leaving. There's so many things I should have said to you,…. maybe if I had, you'd still be here. The note you left ….. Sid and Nancy got it and chewed it up. I didn't find it until it was too late. I would have come." She was really struggling to speak now. "Connor …. I love you" she pressed the red button on her phone, then curled into a ball on her bed, letting out the tears she'd been fighting.

--

Connor's alarm went off far too early as far as he was concerned. For a moment, he couldn't remember where he was. Then he remembered. He was in Tanzania, about to start his new assignment. He should have been excited about it, and a couple of years ago, he'd have been bouncing around like a young child. As a student, he would have given his right arm, and probably his left as well, for an opportunity like this. All he could think about now was how lonely he felt. Abby had been a huge part of his life, and now she wasn't, and he didn't know how he was going to cope.

He had an hour before Enzi would be coming to pick him up, so he quickly showered, pulled on a clean t-shirt and jeans, and went downstairs for breakfast. He didn't know how long it would be before he got to eat again, so he ate as much as he could without being sick. He remembered his malaria tablet, and made a mental note that he had to make that a part of his daily routine here. As he finished his third piece of toast, he checked his watch, almost 9 o'clock. Back home, it would only be 6 am and he would be snug under his duvet sound asleep. The thought made him yawn. Enzi would soon be here to pick him up, so he dragged his cases round to the reception area, handed in his room keys and waited. He pulled his mobile out of his pocket and switched it on, he hadn't used it since Heathrow. He waited whilst it tried to connect to a signal, nothing. He tried a manual set-up, still nothing. "Great" thought Connor "All the preparation I did, and I never thought to check if my phone would work here" Annoyed, he switched it off and shoved it back in his pocket, just as Enzi arrived. His new life was about to begin.

--

Abby had almost not gone to work. She'd spent all day Sunday trying to keep occupied, cleaning, tidying, sorting, anything that focused her mind on something other than how empty the flat felt. The whole time, her phone was by her side. Surely Connor would have got her message by now? It was only later that afternoon that it dawned on her that he would probably be out of signal range. She didn't know where in Tanzania he was, but she was guessing that wherever he was heading would be in the middle of nowhere. She gave up waiting for his call, and began to attack the bathroom armed with a bottle of bleach and a pair of rubber gloves.

Monday's were always difficult, but this was particularly bad. It felt weird driving there alone, usually Connor would be messing about with the radio whenever a song came on that he didn't like, but she hadn't even bothered switching it on this morning. Danny and Becker were already in the meeting room, Lester had told them on Friday he wanted to speak with them all first thing Monday. They were deep in conversation about some documentary that had been on over the weekend, something to do with the SAS. They exchanged the usual pleasantries, "How was your weekend?" Danny smiled.

"I've had better" Abby said. She couldn't make eye contact. Danny sensed straight away something was wrong.

"You OK?"

But before Abby could answer, Sarah raced into the room just ahead of Lester. He wasted no time getting started

"Thank you all for being so prompt, I won't keep you long"

"Shouldn't we wait for Connor?" Sarah said. Abby closed her eyes, she knew what was coming.

"This meeting concerns Connor. He's been placed on special assignment, working with a team in Tanzania to set up their own anomaly research centre. He flew there over the weekend, and will be working with them for six months, longer if necessary"

The team all looked at each other. Danny caught Abby's eye, now he knew what was wrong with her. As Sarah and Becker began asking Lester questions, Danny mouthed "Do you need to talk?" to Abby. She nodded, and he motioned for her to follow him.

"I take it this was a much of a shock to you as it was the rest of us?" Danny said. He'd taken her into the room he used as his office, although he'd never really been officially assigned it. Abby could only nod. "Great opportunity for Connor, I envy the kid. It'll be strange without him around though"

Abby looked at Danny through watery eyes. "He left me a note. It's my fault he's gone"

"How do you work that one out?"

"I've hurt him because I couldn't admit my true feelings, and he can't stand to be around me"

He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Emotions weren't Danny's strong point, especially someone else's. "I'd always assumed you two were an item, you act like you're a couple"

"I messed up. I was too late to stop him leaving, and now…." She was determined not to cry in front of Danny. He half smiled at her, not really knowing what to say. "I'll be OK, Danny. I just need to get used to the idea he won't be around"

"You don't have to be here you know" he said. "Go and spend a few days at the reptile house. I'll call you if we get an anomaly alert"

She wasn't sure if that was a good idea, but being in the ARC without Connor around was almost as bad as being in the flat without Connor around. At least the zoo didn't have anything that would keep reminding her of him. "Thanks Danny" she said, briefly touching his arm as she left.

--

Connor had a feeling that things were about to get very interesting. He'd been here less than 48 hours, and he was already being thrown into the thick of things. He was in the back of a speeding land rover, bouncing through the rocky terrain. The driver, Dave, was the unofficial leader of the group. He was a ranger on the nearby national park, it was his photograph of the mauled lions that sparked off this whole adventure. He was in his thirties, Connor guessed, and very tall and imposing. He was the tough guy, muscular, knew how to handle a rifle, and he claimed he had once wrestled with a crocodile that had attacked a small child out in the park. Connor liked him, he felt safe amongst all the wild animals with a man like him.

The other person in the group today was Johanna. She was also a park ranger, she'd been the one who took the call on the radio when the tourist saw the lions being attacked, and was first on the scene. The tourist had been rambling, saying he'd seen a dinosaur, Johanna tried to calm him and convince him it was a large crocodile .. and then she saw it too. "I'm no fool, Connor" she had said when relating the tale "They tried to convince me otherwise, but I know what I saw. It was a Raptor." Connor was not sure how to take her. She was quite young, maybe even younger than Abby, but seemed to be older in her mannerisms. Her long blonde hair was kept tied back in a tight ponytail, and her face was freckled and tanned, the hallmarks of someone who spent most of their time outdoors.

"We need to take a left down here" Johanna shouted to Dave above the noise of the engine. Dave swung the vehicle round the corner without braking, and Connor was thrown onto his side. Johanna looked behind and laughed "Hold on Connor, it gets worse than this!" Connor just gave her a look. "The sighting is just near where we found those lions"

They parked up in a clearing, and Connor could see straight away where the lion attack had happened. Trees nearby had their bark shredded, scarred with claw marks. "These are fresh" Dave said, pointing to one tree in particular. "Same kind as before. Looks like our velociraptor is back" he began loading his rifle with tranquiliser darts

"I'm no expert" Connor said "but if this is a velociraptor, then you're gonna need a bit more than that. That'll just graze it"

Johanna smiled "Do you think the ones we use on elephants will work?" Connor nodded, and watched as she pulled out a large gun from the back of the land rover and loaded it. The three of them then settled in a hidden spot, waiting for the velociraptor.

"You had many dealings with one of these things?" Dave asked.

"A couple. We had a family of them trapped in a shopping centre once" Connor winced, remembering the day very clearly, he'd shot Abby in the leg with a tranquiliser dart and she fell asleep. She didn't let him forget that one in a hurry.

Dave heard it first, a rustle in the bush and then a growl. Connor froze. He was actually more scared of the possibility it could be a lion than the fact it could be a dinosaur. Johanna raised her gun, concentrating hard, whilst Dave moved further forward. He beckoned Connor to follow. Just ahead of them was the unmistakeable sight of a juvenile raptor. Dave's mouth dropped open and Connor grinned "It's a beauty eh?"

"Magnificent!" Dave whispered "and yet terrifying. Is that really a dinosaur?" Connor nodded, then beckoned for Johanna to join them. She was shaking, both with fear and with excitement. Connor, without thinking, rested his hand on her back, a protective gesture he often used on Abby.

The raptor caught their scent, and looked straight towards them. "Dave, I think we need to …." Connor didn't have time to finish, the raptor began to move towards them

"Shoot it Jo!" Dave shouted. He had already tried two shots, but as predicted, his darts had little effect. Johanna was frozen to the spot "JO! Shoot it now!"

Connor could see the fear in her eyes, he knew he had to act fast before the raptor got any closer. He grabbed the gun from her and fired several shots in the general direction of the creature. He held his breath, waiting for the raptor to be on top of them … instead, he saw it slump to the ground.

"Nice shot, Connor!" Dave said. Connor grinned, that was a sentence he never thought he'd hear!

"Yeah, good one" Johanna said, her voice trembling.

"What do we do with this now?" Dave said. They all looked at each other. Good question.

"Umm …at home we would try and take it back through the anomaly it came through" Connor said. "But as we don't know where this one came from…."

"Seems wrong to kill it" Johanna said. "Its done nothing wrong, its just lost, trapped in the wrong time period" she looked sad. Connor knew how the raptor felt, he'd been there too.

"We don't kill anything unless we have no other choice. Cutter always insisted on that. He said it could mess up the whole timeline and change the present. Do you have a secure enclosure at the park? Somewhere with an electrified fence?"

"Yeah, at the medical facility. We could take this beauty there until we figure out what to do with him" Dave said.

As they drove to the medical facility with the sleeping raptor dragging behind them, Connor gazed out of the back, smiling. All he needed now was to track down the anomaly. Yes, things were going to be very interesting here, and for the first time in weeks, the old Connor was back.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Primeval's not mine, it belongs to Impossible pictures. Darn it.**

**A/N: A huge thank you for all the feedback, makes it worth it when you know your work is being enjoyed. The rating has been changed to a T ;)**

* * *

"Connor, you're a genius!" Dave slapped Connor on the back. "I never thought that thing of yours would work!"

If he was honest, Connor was beginning to think he'd never get it working either. He'd been growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of resources available to him. He'd complained a number of times but just met with shrugged shoulders. Dave, Johanna and Scott (who was one of the archaeologists working on the dig site by the park) tried to help, bringing old electrical items to him that he might be able to salvage something from. In the end, Connor sent an angry email to Lester, who passed it on to his friend Sir David, and suddenly it was "Anything Temple needs to finish the project, you get it for him, whatever the cost".

He stepped back, admiring his work. Ok, so it wasn't as impressive looking as the one back in London, but as long as it served its purpose, that was all that mattered. Almost three months of hard work had finally paid off, they were stood staring at a map on the screen, an alarm going off, and a flashing symbol indicating that an anomaly had been detected.

"Come on then guys. Let's do this!" Connor grinned at the team. This was why he was here, and it felt great to finally feel like he had achieved something.

--

Abby stared at her computer screen blankly. She was supposed to be writing a report for Lester, but she really couldn't be bothered. Her arms ached and she was regretting giving the punch bag such a hard pounding earlier. She'd been spending a lot of time in the gym recently, and had finally gotten round to starting the kick boxing classes again. She glanced over at Sarah, who looked equally fed up.

"Sarah, fancy a coffee?"

"Ok, sounds good. Thanks"

Abby disappeared into the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with two mugs. She handed Sarah hers and perched on the edge of her desk.

"So, how did the date go last night?" Sarah asked

"Hmm" Abby said. "One drink and his hands were all over me"

"Oh god, I hope you gave him what he deserved?"

Abby grinned "Of course! He'll be speaking a few octaves higher for the next week" Sarah almost choked on her coffee.

"I wish I had your guts"

"I just know how to look after myself, that's all. I've needed to. Especially where men are concerned. I never learn do I? Meatheads are always bad news"

Sarah took a deep breath. There was a question she'd be dying to ask for a while "Have you heard anything from Connor?"

"How did we get from meatheads to Connor?" Abby laughed.

"Stop avoiding the question! Have you heard from him?"

Abby's face changed. Her tough front seemed to drop whenever she thought about Connor. "Not really, just the same emails he sent you guys as well" That wasn't true, he had called her, about two weeks ago. It had been a very awkward chat, Connor did most of the talking, and she didn't really know why he had phoned. He was using a landline phone at the game park where he was staying, but had been told to keep personal calls to a minimum. He sounded like the Connor she used to know right at the start, babbling on about so many things but not really saying anything. One thing she did notice, he kept mentioning a girl, Johanna. He was doing what he'd said in his letter, moving on. That was when Abby decided to accept the offer of going out for a drink with a guy she knew at the zoo.

Their chat was interrupted by a familiar sound, the anomaly alarm. They both went into automatic mode and headed down the stairs to the main room where the detector was.

"What have we got, Sam?" Danny said.

Sam looked at the screens despairingly. He was really struggling with this. The young man was one of Becker's team who had been injured whilst chasing a dinosaur a few weeks ago. He had been assigned to monitor the anomaly detector whilst he was recovering. It had been acting up, going off for no reason, showing multiple anomalies and giving strange readings. "I think it's another false alarm, sorry"

"When are they going to get this thing fixed?" Becker said, annoyed.

"I'm working on that problem as we speak" came a voice from up on the observation walkway. It was Lester. "I never thought I'd say this, but obviously Temple is the only one with the brains enough to sort this out. Sam, can you set up a computer and webcam by the detector by 1pm? Connor's going to contact you and try and talk you through what needs to be done" Sam looked relieved

"Sure, if a couple of the guys will help me shift a desk over, I can hook up my laptop" Danny and Becker immediately began clearing a desk in the corner.

Sarah nudged Abby "Might be worth hanging around here at 1 o'clock". She saw the corners of Abby's mouth turn up into a faint smile, the first one to pass her lips since Connor left.

--

"Here we go" Sam said. He wasn't used to having an audience whilst he worked, but he could hardly refuse them – they just wanted to say hi to their old friend. Danny, Sarah, Abby and Becker were all stood behind him, waiting anxiously as Sam tried to set up. Suddenly, the blank screen on the laptop began to flicker, and then, there he was. That smile, the big brown eyes. Abby's heart began to race.

"Sam, can you hear me OK?" he said

"Loud and clear, Connor. You got me?"

"Yes, and I see you're not alone"

Everyone leaned into view of the camera, waved and called "hi Connor!"

"It's good to see you all! How's everything?" His grin grew even wider.

"Same old, you know how it is, mate" Danny said. "Just hope you can help Sam here get the detector fixed. We're floundering in the dark a bit at the moment"

"I'll try. I think I know what's wrong, it's just talking Sam through it"

Becker and Sarah began chatting to him. Abby stood aside a little, trying to read Connor. He looked good, happy, and it didn't seem like an act for the sake of the camera. His usually pale skin was tanned and he was letting his hair grow long again. She heard him tell Sarah that he had finally got the anomaly detector working over there, although the overall range they could get wasn't as good. He was asking Sarah if she had any ideas how to improve it, and she said she'd go away and think about it. Their conversation dried up and Abby found herself being shoved forward by Danny. She wasn't sure she could do this. She looked to Sarah for help, but she, Danny and Becker were already making their way back to their own work.

"Abby" Connor had seen her. His face changed, the smile more strained. He chewed nervously on his bottom lip.

"Hey Connor. You look well. Life must me treating you well over there" she tried to sound normal, but was conscious her voice was higher than usual.

"Can't complain I suppose. Constant sunshine, good food, exercise, they even let me use a gun here" he laughed.

"You haven't put anyone to sleep have you?" she said.

"Nah, I'm a better aim now. Johanna's been teaching me" There was an awkward silence. That name again. Connor broke it. "Abby…."

"Connor, I …."

"I miss you Abby"

"I miss you too" her heart felt like it was going to explode through her chest, it was beating so hard. There was an awkward cough. Sam. "Sorry, I should let you two boys get on with fixing this thing so we can all get back to work" She moved away, dipping down in front of the camera "See you soon eh?"

"Yes" he said back, his voice barely a whisper.

--

Connor was quiet. He was sat in the lounge area of the lodge he shared with Dave, Johanna and a few others who were helping out with the investigations. Until today, he'd barely had time to think about home, if he wasn't off testing out the hand held detectors he'd developed, or chasing a stray dinosaur, he was out in the bush with Dave or Johanna.

"Did you get the problem sorted?" Johanna said, walking into the lounge. She handed Connor a bottle of beer.

"Think so" he said. Johanna sat next to him. She'd just showered, her hair was hung loose and damp around her shoulders. She smelt of soap and shampoo, and it reminded him of evenings at home with Abby when she'd come and join him on the sofa after she'd had her bath.

"Then why do you look so sad?"

"I saw the guys on the webcam, we chatted for a while". She had shifted herself closer to him, and had begun to massage his neck and shoulders. He didn't try to stop her, he liked how it felt.

"I see. You're missing home eh?"

He nodded. "Something like that". He tried not to make eye contact with her, not wanting her to see the sadness behind his eyes. Her hands had stopped massaging his neck, she was now slowly trailing her fingers down his chest, her face so close to his he could feel her breath. He was certain she would be able to feel his heart pounding in his chest. He stopped fighting with himself and looked her in the eyes, holding her gaze. For the first time, he noticed how pretty her eyes were.

"Maybe I can take your mind off things for a while?" she whispered, leaning towards him.

Before he could say anything, her lips were on his. He returned the kiss, not wanting to make the same mistake he'd made when Abby had kissed him. Everything that happened after that was a blur – maybe it was because he just wanted to forget it had happened, maybe it was sheer embarrassment – the kiss was followed by a lot of awkward fumbling, and he remembered being led into Johanna's bedroom. There was more fumbling, as clothes were discarded, and then he could feel the soft curves of her body beneath his as she guided him to where she wanted him. As months of tension were released from inside him, he felt light headed, dizzy almost. Then, at the very peak of emotion, at that most intimate moment two people could share, a word fell from his mouth so naturally it was like it was a part of him "Abby!"

Hours later, he was sat on the edge of his own bed, his face still stinging from the slap he'd received. He'd deserved it, he'd committed the ultimate sin. Today he realised that he hadn't really been as happy as he was trying to convince himself he was. Throwing himself into work was simply avoidance of reality. He knew what he had to do now.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: They're not mine *pouts* no copyright intended**

**A/N: the end ...... thanks again to everyone for the support!**

* * *

Connor had always felt uncomfortable in the presence of "suits". They made him feel insignificant somehow. Today was no different. He had asked if he could have a meeting with Sir David Mills, Lester's friend who had been the one pulling all the strings for this Tanzanian ARC project. He sat waiting at the agreed meeting point, feeling like a naughty school boy waiting to see the Head Master. It had been a week since that webcam chat, and the evening he would rather forget. Things were a little strained between him and Johanna, he'd apologised of course, in his own bumbling way. She had just replied "I hope this Abby realises how lucky she is"

"Connor, at last we meet properly!" Sir David came into the room. He was just as Connor had imagined, and Connor actually wondered if the Home Office just bred clones – it could almost have been Lester stood there. He shook Connor's hand. "I've been hearing great things about your project, the detector's working?"

"Yes, sir. It seems to be." Connor felt his mouth go dry. This man had invested a lot in Connor, and now he was going to ask for more help.

"What can I do for you, Connor? What is it you need?, name it and we'll get it"

"I just want to thank you for the opportunity you gave me, coming out here has been……. an adventure" Connor couldn't make eye contact. "I know I'm supposed to be here for another three months, but … I'm not sure I can do this any more"

"You're having doubts in your abilities? Please don't think that, everyone speaks very highly of your work"

"I know, and that's why this is so hard. I want to go home, sir" Connor waited for a response, swallowing hard and staring at his feet.

"I see. Is there anything I can do to change your mind? More money?"

Connor shook his head. "It's not about money, it's not about the work. It's about the people I'm missing at home" _person actually_ he thought.

Sir David sighed. "I suppose I can't argue with that. We'll be sorry to lose you, I was actually hoping we could get you to stay beyond the six months. Leave this with me, I'll see when I can arrange a flight home for you" He shook Connor's hand again, and left. Connor smiled. He was going home.

--

Abby stormed out of Lester's office for the third time in a week. Sarah and Danny exchanged looks. "That man! ….. "Abby sat at her desk with a thud.

"He's still saying no then?" Danny asked.

Abby tried to mimic Lester's voice "we need your skills Abigail. I cannot afford to lose you for that length of time"

Sarah looked sympathetically at her "I'm sorry Abby"

"Everything about this whole thing has been against me since the start. The note being chewed up, his phone not working, why would I think this would be any different? Of course Lester's not going to let me go off to Tanzania for three months. Besides, do you know how much a flight out there costs?!" Abby buried her head in her hands.

"Connor really means that much to you?" Danny said. She nodded. "Email him, set up another webcam chat, and tell him. It may be three months before you can do anything about it, but at least he will know"

"Danny's right" Sarah said. "It's not ideal, but you'll be able to see each other's reactions. You'll know if he still feels the same way about you, and then you'll know if it's worth waiting for three months for him, or whether you should just move on"

It was her last option. She started up her email and clicked "new message". She'd keep it short and friendly, not implying anything at all. She just said she would "really like to chat" and suggested a webcam would be easier than fighting over the expensive landline. She clicked "send" and waited.

--

Connor had finished the last of his packing. He was leaving today, although his flight wasn't until tomorrow. There was a tentative knock on his door "Connor?" It was Johanna

"Come in" he smiled at her.

"Can't believe you're leaving so soon" she said. "But home is important, I understand that"

"I'm sorry it's ended on a slightly awkward note" he said "Most of it has been great"

"Most of it" she smiled. "Do me a favour, Connor" He looked at her questioningly "Make sure you're happy. Take a few chances and do whatever it takes to get what you want. You're a good man, Connor Temple, and you deserve to be happy" she hugged him, holding onto him tightly. He returned the hug, and gently kissed her on the forehead

"Thank you"

There was another knock on the door, it was Dave and Scott. "Temple! We came to say goodbye and good luck" More hugs. Connor was beginning to feel overwhelmed, he was going to miss the team here. They'd made him so welcome and he'd learnt so much.

"Thank you, guys, for everything."

"Thank you, that detector of yours is amazing, it means we can get there that little bit quicker and prevent unnecessary deaths" Dave said. He reached into his pocket "We got you a little something, it's not much, bit short notice" He handed Connor a small package. All three pairs of eyes were on him.

Connor carefully peeled off the wrapping. Inside was a piece of amber. Connor grinned at them, it was perfect.

"We tried to find a piece with an insect in for you" Johanna said "But you don't get many of those now"

"I love it!" Connor said, fighting back tears. Yet another knock at his door came, a voice telling him that his car was here to take him to the airport. He hugged everyone goodbye and dragged his cases outside. They helped him load them into the boot and then he got into the front seat. The driver was the same guy that had brought him here.

"Mr Temple, you ready?" Enzi said

"Yes, you bet! I can't wait to get home" Connor grinned, waving to his friends as they became distant spots.

--

Connor knew he should try to sleep, but his head was so full of concerns it was hard. He'd been down to the hotel lobby to use the internet in the hope he'd find something to take his mind off things. He logged into his emails, and found two messages waiting for him. The first was from Lester, saying he would arrange for someone to meet Connor at Heathrow and take him home. Home, it was such a beautiful word, but did he still have a home to go to? What if Abby had let his room to someone else? The second email was from Abby. Given his fears already, he almost didn't open it. She said she wanted to chat, properly, and that maybe they could use webcams. Was that a good thing? Maybe the chat was going to be "hey Connor, hope you don't mind, Brad the stud is moving in tomorrow".

Did he tell her he was on his way home? By the time she would see his reply, he'd be on the plane. He decided not to say, he just replied "Yes, would like a proper chat too. Let me know when"

He glanced at his watch, in 7 hours he would be checking in for his flight home, and in 10 hours he'd be on it. Suddenly, he felt very tired, and very nervous.

--

Abby had been smiling most of the day. She'd half expected Connor not to reply to her email, but when she'd logged in first thing there was a message waiting for her. He wanted to chat too. He'd said he missed her on the last one, and she had wondered ever since what else they might have said were they not in company. This time, she'd make sure they were in private so they could say what they really wanted to – at least, that was her plan. Things had a habit of not working out the way she wanted when it came to her relationship with Connor.

She was vaguely aware of Lester talking to Danny, but she was lost in her thoughts. She heard her name being called and swung round. "Sorry?"

"I said there was something I needed to tell you" Lester was in a bad mood. "Honestly you youngsters, attention spans of goldfish" he rolled his eyes

"I'm sorry, Lester. My mind's elsewhere today"

"Indeed" he sniffed. "There's a flight arriving from Tanzania at just after 5pm, Heathrow terminal 5. There's a young man who might appreciate a hand with his luggage and a lift home"

Abby's eyes widened, she could see Danny's grin broaden behind Lester. "Lester, I could kiss you!" she said.

"I'd rather you didn't." he replied. He tried to remain stone faced, but even he could see what this news meant to Abby and couldn't help but smile. "Just make sure you're there, a taxi would cost a fortune"

--

Abby checked the arrivals board as soon as she got there. Connor's flight was on time, the board said it was in the stack, queuing to land. Her heart was beating fast and hard, she couldn't quite believe she was going to be seeing Connor again in a matter of minutes. Why was he coming home so early? What had happened? She placed herself just by the exit from immigration control, he should see her as soon as he came out.

--

It seemed to be taking an age for the luggage to start coming out onto the carousel, as usual. Connor was growing impatient. All he wanted to do was get home and begin sorting out his life again. He went to sit on a spare trolley, but being Connor, he stumbled. His rucksack slipped off his shoulder onto the floor, its contents spilling out. Sighing, he scrambled around, picking everything up. Amongst the things that had fallen out, was his mobile phone. Out of sheer habit, he flipped it open and switched it on. He noticed the carousel begin to move, so he slipped the phone into his jeans pocket and went to join the crowd waiting for their cases.

After a few minutes, he felt a mad flurry of vibrations from the phone. He took it out and stared, he was getting a backlog of texts that had been sent whilst his phone was out of range. He scrolled through them, most seemed to be junk, and then there was one, received the day after he'd left "you have a voicemail". He dialled his voicemail and listened. "Connor, it's me Abby" His heart leapt – she had called him! He listened, her faltering voice made his heart ache for her. He wanted to hold her there and then. She'd said Sid and Nancy had chewed his note and she hadn't got it in time, she would have come. He cursed his own stupidity, for being a coward and leaving a note in the first place, for not securing it to the fridge like he'd tried to. Then, was she crying? He bit his bottom lip, listening, as he heard the words he had wanted to hear so much "Connor, I love you". Where the hell were his cases? He had to get home, now!

As soon as he was able, he grabbed his cases and went through the final customs checks. Now all he had to do was find the man Lester had sent to pick him up. He scanned the waiting people who were holding up signs with various names. He could have sworn he heard his name called, but couldn't see anyone. He eyes continued down the line until … no! … it couldn't be? …

"Connor!! Over here!!" Abby shouted. She was waving frantically at him. When he finally saw her, his face lit up. She wanted to run to him, but the security guy wouldn't let anyone past the barrier. She could see his face crumpling as he fought back tears, and he speeded up his pace, not able to run with two cases to drag along. It felt like an eternity but he eventually got beyond the barrier. Abby ran to him and flung her arms around him.

Dropping his suitcases to the ground, he wrapped his arms around her, sobbing. "Abby, I …"

"Shh, Connor. You don't need to say anything" Abby whispered, placing a finger lightly on his lips. She was trying not to cry, but failing. She looked straight up into his eyes, he was smiling through his own tears. She gently ran her fingers to his cheek, wiping the tear that was trickling down it.

"I'm so sorry, Abby. I made a mess of everything" he stroked her hair, then ran his fingers to her cheek.

"So did I Connor, there's things we both should have said"

"I just got your voicemail, this is the first time my phone's worked"

"Voicemail?" she hadn't left him … oh god, yes she had! She swallowed, scared of what he might say. She could see him struggling for words, typical, sweet, Connor. She willed him to find the words he wanted, whatever they might have been.

Johanna's words were echoing around his head – _do whatever it takes to get what you want _– he took a deep breath and spoke. "Abby. I love you". He finally got it out. _Please don't let me have just made a huge fool of myself._

"I love you too, Conn" she pulled him towards her and kissed him softly on the lips, a gentle but lingering kiss. He responded, kissing her back and tightening his hold. He was never going to let her go now that he finally had her.

When their lips finally parted, Abby gazed up at Connor. He looked so sweet, his cheeks flushed and his eyes glinting. "We should get home" she whispered. She took the handle of one of his cases in one hand, and held his hand with her other. He did the same, and allowed Abby to lead him out towards where she was parked.


End file.
